IntelliJ IDEA 2023.2: Promoting the Accessibility Focus‑Order Registry Key to UI Settings
0 reputation · 25 Apr 2022, 02:38 UTC
The goal is to make the accessibility focus‑order configuration, currently hidden behind the registry key `ide.accessibility.focus.order`, available as a visible option in Settings → Appearance & Behavior → Accessibility for IntelliJ IDEA 2023.2 and later. This would allow users to adjust the tab‑traversal sequence of editor panes, tool window bar and status bar without accessing the registry.
Constraints include the need for a IDE restart after changing the key, the possibility that custom plugins depend on the default focus order, and the lack of official documentation for the registry entry. The JetBrains issue tracker shows an open ticket (IDEA‑29874) requesting this UI exposure, but no target version has been set, leaving the decision unresolved.
- What impact would exposing this setting have on existing plugins that rely on the default focus order?
- How should the setting be labeled and described in the Accessibility preferences to avoid confusion?
- Should the change take effect immediately, or retain the current requirement of a IDE restart?
